Home / Authors / John Milton

John Milton Quotes

Poet

John Milton, born on December 9, 1608, in London, and died on November 8, 1674, was a renowned English poet and scholar. He is best known for his epic poem 'Paradise Lost,' which has had a profound impact on world literature.

Filter quotes by topic

All Men Paradise Lost Book 9 Paradise Lost Book 2 May Heaven Ifs Paradise Lost Book 1 Light Thee Virtue Night Knows Love World Hell Evil Eye Mind Earth Life

Famous John Milton Quotes

“Retiring from the popular noise, I seek This unfrequented place to find some ease, Ease to the body some, none to the mind From restless thoughts, that like a deadly swarm Of Hornets arm'd, no sooner found alone, But rush upon me thronging, and present Times past, what once I was, and what am now.”

Mind Past Thoughts Memory Present

Book:Samson Agonistes

Source: Samson Agonistes

“Infernal world, and thou profoundest Hell Receive thy new Possessor: One who brings A mind not to be chang'd by Place or Time. The mind is its own place, and in it self Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n.”

Mind Heaven Hell

Book:Paradise lost

Source: Paradise lost

“Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed, which declares his dignity, And the regard of Heav'n on all his ways.”

Men Way Mind Body Dignity Regard Daily Work

Author:John Milton

“Man hath his daily work of body or mind Appointed.”

Men Mind Body Work Daily Work

Author:John Milton

“When we speak of knowing God, it must be understood with reference to man's limited powers of comprehension. God, as He really is, is far beyond man's imagination, let alone understanding. God has revealed only so much of Himself as our minds can conceive and the weakness of our nature can bear.”

Men Mind Speak Understanding Imagination Knowing Bears Understood Weakness Encouragement Encouraging Knowing God Comprehension Understanding God

Author:John Milton

“But that from us aught should ascend to Heav'n So prevalent as to concern the mind Of God, high-bless'd, or to incline His will, Hard to belief may seem; yet this will prayer.”

Should Mind May Hard Seems Belief Prayer Concern Bless Incline

Book:The Poetical Works of John Milton ...

Source: The Poetical Works of John Milton ...

“Alas! What boots it with uncessant care To tend the homely slighted Shepherd's trade, And strictly meditate the thankless muse; Were it not better done as others use, To sport with Amaryllis in the shade, Or with the tangles of Neaera's hair? Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise (That last infirmity of noble mind) To scorn delights, and live laborious days; But the fair guerdon when we hope to find, And think to burst out into sudden blaze, Comes the blind Fury with th'abhorred shears, And slits the thin-spun life.”

“O impotence of mind, in body strong! But what is strength without a double share Of wisdom, vast, unwieldy, burdensome, Proudly secure, yet liable to fall By weakest subtleties, not made to rule, But to subserve where wisdom bears command.”

Mind Made Body Fall Strong Share Bears Command Secure Subtlety Liable Impotence

Author:John Milton

“Calm of mind, all passion spent.”

Mind Passion Calm

Author:John Milton

“The virtuous mind that ever walks attended By a strong siding champion, Conscience.”

Mind Strong Walks Conscience Champion Virtuous Siding

Author:John Milton

“. . . for beauty stands In the admiration only of weak minds Led captive. Cease to admire, and all her plumes Fall flat and shrink into a trivial toy, At every sudden slighting quite abash'd.”

Mind Fall Beauty Weak Cease Admire Flats Admiration Toys Shrinks Captives Weak Minds

Book:Paradise Regain'd: A Poem in Four Books

Source: Paradise Regain'd: A Poem in Four Books

“Evil into the mind of god or man may come and go, so unapproved, and leave no spot or blame behind.”

Men Mind May Evil Behinds Blame Spots Comes And Goes

Book:The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan

Source: The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan

“Thou canst not touch the freedom of my mind.”

Mind Of My Mind

Author:John Milton

“The mind is its own place, and in itself, can make heaven of Hell, and a hell of Heaven.”

Mind Happiness Heaven Inspiring Attitude Vision Hell Positive Thinking Stress Addiction Recovery Heaven And Hell Great Happiness Addiction Recovery Looking For Happiness Addicts In Recovery Inspirational Addiction Recovery My Own Happiness

Author:John Milton

“Apt words have power to suage the tumors of a troubled mind.”

Mind Power Sympathy Condolences Tumors

Book:Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and the Complete Shorter Poems

Source: Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, and the Complete Shorter Poems

“The childhood shows the man As morning shows the day. Be famous then By wisdom; as thy empire must extend, So let extend thy mind o'er all the world.”

Men World Mind Shows Morning Childhood He Man Ambition Empires

Author:John Milton

“Fame is the spur that the clear spirit doth raise. That last infirmity of noble mind. To scorn delights, and live laborious days.”

Mind Lasts Spirit Clear Fame Raises Delight Noble Reputation Scorn Spurs Infirmity Shears

Author:John Milton

“The debt immense of endless gratitude, So burthensome, still paying, still to owe; Forgetful what from him I still receivd, And understood not that a grateful mind By owing owes not, but still pays, at once Indebted and dischargd; what burden then?”

Mind Stills Pay Gratitude Understood Grateful Burden Debt Endless Immense Owing Indebted Forgetful

Book:The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan

Source: The First Six Books of Milton's Paradise Lost, Rendered Into Grammatical Construction ... With Notes ... To which are Prefixed Remarks on Ellipsis and Transposition ... By J. Buchanan

“A grateful mind/ By owing owes not, but still pays, at once/ Indebted and discharg'd.”

Mind Stills Pay Gratitude Grateful Owing Indebted Paradise Lost Book 9 Paradise Lost Book 2

Author:John Milton

“Those graceful acts, those thousand decencies, that daily flow from all her words and actions, mixed with love and sweet compliance, which declare unfeigned union of mind, or in us both one soul.”

Love Mind Soul Action Sweet Thousand Flow Unions Decency Sweet Love Compliance Words And Actions

Book:Poems

Source: Poems

“(That last infirmity of noble mind) To scorn delights, and live laborious days; But the fair guerdon when we hope to find, And think to burst out into sudden blaze, Comes the blind Fury with th' abhorred shears And slits the thin-spun life.”

Thinking Life Mind Lasts Fairs Blind Delight Noble Nobility Scorn Fury Infirmity Spun Slits Shears

Author:John Milton

“Beauty stands In the admiration only of weak minds Led captive.”

Mind Beauty Weak Admiration Captives Weak Minds